O2 trials mobile TV

UK mass market test

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A new trial by O2 is bringing mobile television a little closer to the mass market. The mobile operator has teamed up with NTL Broadcast to conduct a six-month trial to test mobile TV in the UK.

Users will get a Nokia 7710 and have access to channels including Sky News, CNN, Chart Show TV, Sky Sports News, Cartoon Network and Discovery

The trial is in Oxford, and performance testing will begin in July before it is extended to 350 O2 customers early in September. Participants will be between the ages of 18 and 45, and will spend a good portion of their day in the Oxford area.

Trial customers will be able to access 16 channels on their handsets. The trial intends to examine viewing habits of customers while they are on the move. NTL Broadcast is installing eight DVB-H transmitters to cover the trial area.

The 7710 supports Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVB-H), the terrestrial digital TV standard that has been adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute for use with the portable devices.

The DVB-H is designed for use with handheld devices, and has lower power consumption and good reception - two areas where previous devices failed to impress consumers and hampered the widespread adoption of the technology. Using a digital signal with DVB-H rather than an analogue signal results in a much-improved signal for viewers.

Nokia has also implemented a time-slicing technology in an attempt to improve battery life. Using the new technology, the handset's receiver downloads content in fast bursts, saving power in between downloads.